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` Wl El i v MBOHANISM TOR OONVBRTINO REOITBOOATINO INTO ROTARY MOTION.

v NO. l2475866.- Patented Oct. 4, 1881'.

MIT

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- vW. E. WOOD. MEGHANISM FOR GONVERTING REGIPROGATING INTO ROTARY MOTIGN.

1 No. 247,888. Patented ce1-81881.

i l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.a

WINTHROP E. WOOD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONF- HALF TO AARON D. BLODGETT, OF lSAME PLAGE.

MECHANISM FOR CONVERTING RECIPROCATING INTO ROTARY MOTION.

SPECIFICATION forming-'part of Letters Patent No. 247,866, dated October 4, 1881. I Application filed May 1l, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WIN'rHRoP E. WOOD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Mechanism for Converting Reciprocating into RotaryMotion,of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part hereof', in which- Figure1isasideelevation,showing mymechanism so applied to connect the piston-rod and fiy-wheel of a steam-engine. Fig. 2 is a plan without the cylinder and valve mechanism shown in Figi. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and Fig. 4, a section on line x x, Fig. 3, illustrating the clutch mechanism.

My invention consists in the combination, with two shafts geared together, of two reciprocating racks and pinions in such a manner that the reciprocating motion of the racks and pinions impart rotary motion to the shafts, each pinion being connected to its shaft by a clutch mechanism, so that the motion of one of the pinions in one direction gives motion to its shaft, while the motion of the other pinion in the same direction is opposite to the motion of its shaft, the result being the rotary motion of both shafts, vbut in opposite directions.

In the drawings, Al represents the piston-rod of a steam-engine; but, as will'be clear,it may represent any other reciprocating body whose motion is to be converted into a rotary motion.

Fast to piston-rod A is the rack-bar A, carryin g two racks, a a. The rack a meshes with pinion b, and the rack a with pinion b. The pinion b is fast to one member, f1, of a clutch mechanism, and the pinion b to one member, d', of a second clutch mechanism; and .these clutch mechanisms are so arranged that the member dis clutched fast to its shaft f during the upstroke of the rack a, and loose upon its shaft f during the downstroke of rack a, while the member d is fast to its shaft f during the downstroke of rack a and loose upon its shaft during the upstroke of that rack; or, more briefly, the shaft f is rotated directly by the pinion b during the upstroke of the rack a, and shaft f rotated directly by the pinionrb during the downstroke of rack a; and as these two shafts ff are geared together by the gears gg', both 5o rotate constantly as long as racks a a reciprocate. u

Several forms of clutch mechanism are well known which will so connect the pinions b b' with their shafts fj that the pinion is free to move in one direction independently of the motion of the shaft, while its motion in the other directionisim parted to the shaft, and any of these mechanisms will serve; but the friction-clutch shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 is 6o the best known to me. In this clutch the inember d is loose upon its shaft f, and the'member d2 is fast to that shaft, and these two members are connected together when wheel d is moved in the direction of the arrow by means of arm d3 and shoe d4. The spring d5 serves to press the acting surface of shoe d4 against the inner surface of the rim of wheel d, so that when wheel d moves in the direction of the p arrow it will carry with it the shoe d, and con- 7c sequently carry with it the arm d3 and member d2, which is fast to shaft f, the greater the resistance of shaft j the greater being the pressure of shoe d* against the rim of wheel d; but when wheel d is moved in a direction opposite to the arrow its rim slips over the outer surface of shoe d4 with little friction and without noise. Y

ltwill be seen that it is not essential that the shafts ff should be at right angleseto 8o each other, as shown, but that they may be parallel, the racks a a being in that case back to back; or they may be arranged otherwise, provided the shafts f f are rotated in opposite directions and impart motion each to the other.`

The iiy-wheel h may be on shaft f instead of on shaft f; or two such wheels may be used, one on each shaft.

The shaft j serves to actuatethe valves of thev engine, and is conveniently rotated by crank '9o h and connecting-rod h2, as shown in Fig. l.

The operation of the engine shown in Fig. l is as follows: When steam is admitted above the piston the piston-rod A is forced down, t carrying with it racks a a', which are fast to 95 it. The downward motion of these racks os cillate pinions b b and clutch-members d d. in one direction, 4and clutch-member d carries with it its other member d2 and shaft f', and this motion of shaft j" also turns shaft j', but in the opposite direction, so that during the downward stroke of the piston the shafts ff are both moved by rack a and clutch d d2, clutch-member (l moving in a direction opnosite to the motion ot' its shaft j'. During the upstroke of the piston the upward motion of racks a. a oscillate pinions I) b and clutchlnembers (Z d in the opposite direction, and clutch-member d carries with it its other member cl2 and shaft f, this motion of shaft f also turning shaft j", but in the opposite direction from that in which shaft f turns, so that during the upstroke of the piston the shafts j f VVINTHROP E. WOOD.

Witnesses:

J. R. SNOW, W. A. CoPELAND. 

